Page 18 of What Haunts the Heart
"Oh, hush!" Claire turned a rosy shade of pink and busied herself with the assortment of carving tools in front of us.
Even though her back was to us, I knew Lani heard me. She twisted around to shoot me a look, although the very corner of her lips twitched in a hint of a smile. When she turned away, I stopped what I was doing to study her.
Lani was beautiful in a rugged way that many Alpha females possessed. Short and stocky with a defined jawline and an aquiline nose, she definitely had an air of feline about her. Her golden eyes were as frosty as her temperament, but I couldn't help but think about her softness towards the kids, and Kinsley's proclamation that she and baby Angel were thick as thieves.
She might've been a little rough around the edges, but maybe she just needed a gentle hand to guide her heart?
My suspicions were confirmed about an hour later. Claire was attempting to poke a chunk of pumpkin through the hole without tearing the slim edge of her cat's tail.
"Help!" she cried, but before I could make a move, Lani swooped in and gracefully removed the unwanted piece. She triumphantly held it up between two fingers and Claire's cheeks tinted pink. A slow smile spread across Claire’s face, uncertain at first before growing bolder. "My savior."
Lani grinned. "My pleasure.” She leaned in and pecked Claire on the lips. By the dreamy look on Claire's face, that wasn't the first time, either. "There's more where that came from."
"Oh, I can imagine," Claire said softly. Nibbling at her bottom lip, she set her pumpkin aside and stood. "Hey, Oakley? You wanna help me with lunch?" She reached back to dust off the butt of her skirt. Without waiting for me to answer, she hooked her arm in mine and practically dragged me up the stairs.
“Okay, spill the beans, Ms. Collins,” I demanded the moment we were alone. Claire giggled and let go of my arm, prancing off into the kitchen. I strode after her, determined to get some answers, but paused in the doorway when I saw the happiness glittering in her eyes.
She was happy.
“So… You and Lani?” I asked, chin-nodding in the direction of the front door.
She turned an even deeper shade of red that flushed the tips of her ears. “She’s nice.”
“Justnice?” I teased, raising a brow. “Because that kiss sure didn’t look like she wasjustnice.”
“Shh! Fine, I like her, alright?” She bit her lip, sawing it between her teeth. She seemed uncertain all of a sudden. Did she think I was going to judge her?Iwas the one who’d practically ditched her so that I could spend time with Eden. I was happy for her. Wasn’t that the whole point of coming to Vale Valley? To get away from it all and have a little fun?
“She likes you too,” I said softly, thinking back to the smirk the bobcat had worn as she’d claimed Claire’s lips as her prize. Chester’s sister-in-law was one of the most offish people I’d ever met. It’d taken her nearly a year to accept me into the family. Even though Kinsley had assured me that it’d taken her awhile to trust him, too, I’d always felt a little judged by Lani.
So how did Claire manage to wrap the grumpy Alpha around her finger?
Claire looped her arms behind her back and leaned up against the kitchen cabinets. “I know. She is, um…” She fidgeted, then laughed. “Very verbal about the things she likes, apparently. It’s honestly kind of sexy. She’s nothing like the Alphas I grew up with, Oakley. She’s… Like you, but different?”
“Sothat’syour type, huh?” I winked. “I get it.”
“You know, I was only kidding when I said maybe I’d meet somebody here.” She shot me a smile. “I didn’t actually expect to, um, actually meet someone. You could’ve warned a girl, Oak. I would’ve packed cuter clothes.”
I chuckled. “Sorry. Honestly, I’m not sure how you did it, but she’s definitely taken a shine to you. Do you have any idea how long it took hernotto growl at me whenever I came to visit? Months. Maybe all this time, all she needed was a little sugar.”
“Oakley!” She squeaked and covered her face with both hands. “Don’t say it like that, gosh.”
“It’s adorable, Claire,” I promised. “And honestly, it’s kind of a relief. This whole time, I’ve been feeling guilty that I ditched you for Eden.”
“No, it’s fine. Really. I’m having fun and making friends. Vale Valley is nice.” She threw her arms around my neck. “I feel like I can be myself here.”
I kissed her forehead. “I’m glad.”
She pulled back, gazing up at me. “So don’t feel bad. You should spend time with Eden while we’re here, since, you know…” She shrugged. “Live a little. We’re gonna spend the rest of our lives together, so we might as well have some fun first, right?”
Her smile faded into oblivion, right alongside my own.
“I know.” I cinched my arms around her a little tighter. “Love you, Claire-bear.”
“Love you too, Oaks,” she murmured.
But I knew it would never be the kind of love we both deserved.
